Collapsible shelf for use with a railing or the like



March 18, 1969 R, E. MANGAN ETAL COLLAPSIBLE SHELF FOR usm WITH A RAILING on THE LIKE Filed May 8, 1967 INVENTORS RICHARD E. MANGAN WILLIAM L, BEESON fyrm ,fiwg

ATTORNEYS Wethersfieid, Conn. @6109 Filed May 8, 1967, Ser. No. 636,821 U.S. Cl. 248-214 Int. Cl. A47f /10, 7/00 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates generally to collapsible shelves, and deals particularly with a shelf which can be quickly erected or collapsed, and is especially well suited for use on a porch railing or other upright structures.

Brief summary of the invention A collapsible shelf having a rectangular frame with side members spaced laterally by inner and outer cross braces and plastic webbing extending across the frame between the side members. A U-shaped support is hingedly connected to the inner cross brace, which brace is located adjacent to a porch railing, and a strut is adjustably connected at one of its ends to the frame and is pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the lower portion of the support. The inner ends of the frame side members are placed on the railing so that a lower end of the U-shaped support engages a portion of the railing below the rail. Depending flange elements on the inner ends of the side members engage the inside edge of the rail, and rotatable prongs are provided on these elements to prevent the shelf from bein inadvertently lifted off the railing.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible shelf which can be adjusted to fit either on an upright vertical railing structure, or On an inclined generally upright structure such as the back of the chair.

Another general object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible shelf of simple and inexpensive construction, which shelf is readily erected for use especially on a porch railing to support a laundry basket or other container.

The drawing shows a preferred embodiment of the invention and such embodiment will be described, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the construction disclosed, and that the drawing and description are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible shelf constructed in accordance with the present invention and erected for use on a railing structure.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1 and shows the supporting structure of the shelf in its collapsed condition in broken lines.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the shelf mounted on the inclined back of a chair.

Detailed description Turning now to the drawing in greater detail, FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention, indicated generally at 10, mounted on a conventional porch railing structure indicated generally at 12. As shown, the railing structure is generally vertical and comprises upright posts 14-, 14- which are attached at their 3,433,443 Patented Mar. 18, 1969 lower ends to the porch itself (not shown), and carry at their upper ends a rail 16. As will be apparent from the description to follow, the railing structure may comprise any of several well known configurations, the particular type of railing structure shown in the drawings having been chosen for illustrative purposes only. It will also be apparent from the description to follow that the shelf structure shown can also be adapted for use with an upright support structure which is not necessarily vertical, as for example the inclined back of a chair as illustrated generally in FIG. 3 at 18.

The shelf structure includes a horizontally extending upper portion which comprises a generally rectangular frame including two longitudinally extending, laterally spaced side members 28, 20, which are held in spaced relation with respect to one another by an inner cross brace 22 and an outer cross brace 24. The cross braces 22 and 24 thus cooperate with the side members 20, 20 to define the generally rectangular frame. Preferably, and as shown in the drawings, the outer cross brace 24 includes an upstanding rail 25 which is spaced somewhat above the horizontal upper surface of the frame so as to provide a convenient edge which precludes articles placed upon the shelf from falling off the outer edge of the frame. As best shown in FIG. 2, the rail 25 is supported on short studs 27, 27 carried by the outer ends of the side members 20, 20.

Each of the side members 20, 20 has a depending flange element 26 carried by its inner end for engaging an upper portion of the railing structure, or support, and more particularly for engaging the inner edge of the rail 16. While the shelf structure shown in the drawing is made from 'wood dowels, it will be apparent that the side members might be fabricated from aluminum tubing, and that the elements 26, 26 could then be provided integrally wtih the side member 20. In accordance with the present invention then it is only necessary that the flange element 26 cooperate with the side member 20 to define an L-shaped receptacle for the rail 16.

It is an important feature of the present invention that the above-described flange elements 26, 26 associated with the inner ends of the side members 20, 20 further include a rotatably mounted prong 28 best shown in FIG. 3 wherein the said prong is spaced downwardly below the associated side member 20 to define a generally U-shaped receptacle for receiving the upper rail portion of the chairs back 18. It is a feature of the present invention that the prong 28 can be pivoted from the active position shown in FIG. 3 to an inactive position indicated in solid lines in FIG. 2 to permit the collapsible shelf structure to be used with other types of railings, as for example with a simple upright wall having no openings for receiving the prongs 28, 28.

Suitable detent means (not shown) may be provided on either the prong 28 or the flange element 26 for releasably retaining the prong in either the inactive position shown in solid lines in FIG. 2, or in the active position shown in broken lines in that figure, and in solid lines in FIG. 3.

A generally U-shaped support is hingedly connected to the frame of the shelf, and more particularly to the inner brace 22. As shown in FIG. 1 the U-shaped support is provided with upstanding leg portions 34, 34 the lower ends of which are connected to one another by a cross bar, or member 36, and the upper ends of which leg portions 34, 34 are pivotally carried on the inner brace 22 associated with the frame. A strut 38, to be described, is pivotally carried on the cross bar, or members 36, associated with the U-shaped support, and it will be apparent that the leg portions 34, 34 of the support can be moved from the positions shown to a folded position shown in broken lines in FIG. 2 wherein said leg portions 34, 34 lie alongside the side members 20, 20 respectively.

The generally horizontally extending frame, or shelf portion, of the device further includes a generally central frame member 40 connected at either end to said inner and outer cross braces 22 and 24 respectively, and extending between the side members 20, 20 in generally parallel relation thereto. This central frame member 40 like the side members 20, 20 also carries a short stud 27, which is attached to the rail 25 of the outer brace 24 in a manner similar to the studs 27, 27 of side members 20, 20 discussed hereinabove. The frame member 40- further includes recesses 46, 46 spaced along its undersurface as best shown in FIG. 3 for receiving a post-like projection 42 on the free end of the strut 38 opposite the pivoted end thereof. As so constructed, the free end 42 of the strut 38 is adapted to be selectively inserted in any one of the cylindrical recesses 46, 46 provided for this purpose in the frame member 40. These cylindrical recesses are the preferred form of abutment where the member 40 is of solid construction, as for example with the solid wood dowel construction for the shelf structure which is described herein. However, in the event that aluminum tubing were used in manufacturing the shelf structure, it would only be necessary to provide openings in the underside of the member 44 to receive the postlike projection formed at the free end 42 of the strut 38.

The physical material from which the upwardly facing top surface of the shelf structure is manufactured preferably comprises a plurality of plastic webs 44, 44 arranged in spaced relation across and between the side members 20, 20. This type of plastic webbing provides a relatively inexpensive means for enclosing the generally rectangular frame defined by the members 20, 20 and the braces 22 and 24. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other material might be used for enclosing this rectangular frame and that other material might be used in place of the aluminum tubing mentioned above. For example, another possibility would be to manufacture the entire shelf structure from plastic coated wire or the like.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that we have provided a novel laundry shelf structure for use in supporting a laundry basket, or other container, adjacent to a porch railing or the like. As so arranged, the user standing in close proximity to the rail may very easily withdraw wet wash from such a basket, or return dried clothing from the line to a laundry basket or other container placed on the shelf.

Thus we have provided a novel, collapsible, shelf structure which is not only of simple and inexpensive construction, but which functions in a more eflicient manner than any heretofore comparable device.

We claim:

1. A collapsible shelf structure for use on a railing or other generally upright support to receive at counter height a laundry basket or other container, said shelf structure comprising a frame which includes two longitudinally extending laterally spaced side members, each of said side members having a depending flange element adjacent its inner end for engaging an upper portion of the railing, a U-shaped support having leg portions hingedly connected respectively to said frame for movement between folded positions wherein said leg portions lie alongside said side members respectively and unfolded positions wherein said leg portions depend from said frame so that the lower end of said support can engage a portion of said railing spaced below said upper portion, and a strut having one end pivotally carried on the lower end of said support, said strut having its other end adapted to abut the underside of said frame at any one of a plurality of positions to support said frame in a generally horizontal position at the height of the upper portion of said railing, said frame further including inner and outer cross braces connected to either end to said side members, and a frame member connected at either end to said cross braces and extending between said side members, said frame member having recesses spaced along its undersurface for receiving said strut end in any one of said positions.

2. A collapsible shelf structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said U-shaped support is hingedly connected to said inner cross brace, and said strut being pivotally carried on said U-shaped support intermediate said leg portions thereof so that the free end of said strut can be selectively inserted in any of said frame member recesses.

3. A collapsible shelf structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of said flange elements further includes an outwardly extending prong spaced downwardly below its associated side member and defining a U-shaped receptacle therewith for receiving said railing upper portion.

4. A collapsible shelf structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said prongs is pivotally received on its associated flange element so as to be movable out of said receptacle defining position to an inactive position.

5. A collapsible shelf structure as set forth in claim 4 wherein said frame further includes plastic webbing exending across and between said side members and said cross braces respectively.

6. A collapsible shelf structure for use on a railing or other generally upright support to receive at counter height a laundry basket or other container, said shelf structure comprising a frame which includes two longitudinally extending laterally spaced side members, each of said side members having a depending flange element adjacent its inner end for engaging an upper portion of the railing, a U-shaped support having leg portions hingedly connected respectively to said frame for movement between folded positions wherein said leg portions lie alongside said side members respectively and unfolded positions wherein said leg portions depend from said frame so that the lower end of said support can engage a portion of said railing spaced below said upper portion, and a strut having one end pivotally carried on the lower end of said support, said strut having its other end adapted to abut the underside of said frame at any one of a plurality of positions to support said frame in a generally horizontal position at the height of the upper portion of said railing, said frame further including inner and outer cross braces connected at either end to said side members and plastic webbing extending across the resulting rectangular frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 686,159 11/1901 Sprague 248238 XR 1,831,190 11/1931 Parker 248302XR 2,952,366 9/1960 Botten 211-104 JOHN PETO, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

